BEIJING (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones will likely follow the beat of China's censors when they offer mainland fans some long-awaited satisfaction with an April concert, promoters said on Tuesday.
The veteran British group, who had two shows in China canceled in spring 2003 because of the SARS epidemic, would make its mainland debut in Shanghai on April 8 as part of its "A Bigger Bang" tour, Emma Entertainment said on its Web site (http://www.emma.cn).
Even before their April 2003 concerts were scuttled, the Stones had run afoul of China's culture commissars.
This time around, the band was ready to steer clear of trouble, a company employee told Reuters on Tuesday.
The Chinese Ministry of Culture told the band in 2003 it could not perform four songs -- "Let's Spend the Night Together," "Brown Sugar," "Honky Tonk Women" and "Beast of Burden."
No reasons were given, but the songs are among the most sexually explicit of the Rolling Stone's hits.
"This time, they also probably will not play those songs," a company employee surnamed Gu told Reuters on Tuesday.
"They know there are differences between Chinese and Western cultures. They don't want to do anything against the Chinese government," she said.
The Stones appear to be in the clear to play darker numbers like "Under My Thumb" and "Sympathy for the Devil" in Shanghai, and cutting four songs may seem a minor price for a band that has tried to bring its rock n' roll circus to China for decades.
In the late 1970s, they held high-level talks about touring China, but those were the days when the country feared spiritual pollution from the West and plans were never laid.
Seats for the April concert at the Shanghai Grand Stage would cost between 300 yuan and 3,000 yuan (between $37 and $373) each, Emma Entertainment said.
"The world-famous Rolling Stones are hitting mainland China for the first time," it said. "Music fans must not pass this up!"
When asked what he thought of the Stones' decision, Paul McCartney answered that he would never play China "because of their horrid treatment of animals".
Rolling Stones star in negotiations to star in sitcom
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger is currently in negotiations with US television network ABC to star in his own sitcom.
The plot revolves around a group of blue-collar guys in New York who decide to rob a celebrity, with Jagger playing the target.
Filming has already taken place on scenes for a pilot of the sitcom without Jagger. The singer would only appear in a few scenes, and his name is not expected to appear in the title of the show according to Reuters.
Keith Richards Hospitalized After Falling Out of Tree
WELLINGTON (April 29) - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has suffered a mild concussion while vacationing in Fiji and was flown to hospital in New Zealand as a precaution, a spokeswoman for the band said in a brief statement Saturday.
Media reports in Australian and New Zealand said Richards hurt his head when he fell out of a palm tree at an exclusive Fiji resort.
"Earlier this week Rolling Stone Keith Richards suffered a mild concussion while on holiday in Fiji," the statement said. "Following treatment locally and as a precautionary measure he flew to a hospital accompanied by his wife Patti for observation."
No further details on the 62-year-old rocker's condition were immediately available.
Newspapers in the Fairfax media group reported in their Sunday editions that Richards was flown to the Ascot Hospital in the northern New Zealand city of Auckland on Thursday after the accident.
Steve Kirby, duty manager at the Ascot Hospital, refused to confirm Richards was a patient there, citing the hospital's privacy policy.
The Fijilive.com news Web site reported that the accident was believed to have happened at Fiji's exclusive Wakaya Club resort.
Salesi Finau of the resort told The Associated Press that Richards and his wife recently stayed at the resort for about a week, but would not say when they left.
Finau also refused to comment on the reports Richards had an accident.
"I am sorry, I do not have any comment on that," he said.
Rolling Stones legend Keith Richards suffered a brain haemorrhage after he fell from a palm tree at the weekend, it has been reported.
The star injured himself in a bizarre accident in Fiji last week (April 27). Initial reports indicated he had suffered "mild concussion" following the incident at an exclusive resort.
According to The Sun, after Richards had continued to complain of dull headaches tests revealed a small haemorrhage. He will now have an operation to drain his skull.
A spokesperson for the band could not confirm the story when contacted by NME.COM.
Richards is said to have had the accident as he and bandmate Ronnie Wood tried to climb the tree to get coconuts at the Wakaya Club luxury resort. The star lost his grip and plunged to the ground.
The Stones are due to start the European leg of their 'A Bigger Bang' world tour in Barcelona on May 27.
Keith Richards will not be undergoing brain surgery to treat his recent head injury.
Reports claimed that the Rolling Stones guitarist would need blood to drained from his skull, following an accident while on holiday last week (April 27).
However, spokeswoman Fran Curtis has said: "He's feeling good and in good spirits," BBC News reports.
The band are set to kick off the European leg of their 'A Bigger Bang' world tour on May 27 in Barcelona.
Although Curtis said that she did not know when Richards would leave New Zealand - where he was flown to hospital - she confirmed the concert would go ahead as planned.
The Rolling Stones have been forced to postpone their European tour after guitarist Keith Richards underwent brain surgery this morning (May 8).
The band were due to start their 'A Bigger Bang' tour in Barcelona on May 27, but have put the dates back to June to allow Richards time to recuperate following a fall.
A spokesperson for the band issued the following statement:
"Keith Richards underwent surgery this morning at The Ascot Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. The operation was a complete success and Keith is already up and talking with his family today. He will need a few weeks recuperation.
"Last week Keith was under observation in Auckland following a fall in Fiji and was feeling well after being examined by doctors last week, however after complaining of headaches yesterday doctors thought it prudent to move ahead with a small operation to remove the pressure. The Rolling Stones' 'A Bigger Bang' European tour goes ahead and will now start in June 2006.
"Full details of the re-scheduling of the tour will be announced shortly."
I think I remember some comedian doing a routine ten years ago (Denis Leary?) which said that if a nuclear (or is it "nucular"?) bomb were to be dropped in the heart of London, the only thing living for miles around would be cockroaches...and Keith Richards.
When asked what he thought of the Stones' decision, Paul McCartney answered that he would never play China "because of their horrid treatment of animals".
How low are Sir Paul's standards? I can't think of any country that requires people to be vegetarians (not even India), so animals are killed for food just about everywhere. Why is China worse than South Korea for example, where many people like to enjoy eating dog and cat meat?
I wish I could find one I saw in a magazine about 15-20 years ago. He's in a room full of people and he looks totally zonked, moving through a room like a shambling mockery. HI-larious pic.
When asked what he thought of the Stones' decision, Paul McCartney answered that he would never play China "because of their horrid treatment of animals".
How low are Sir Paul's standards? I can't think of any country that requires people to be vegetarians (not even India), so animals are killed for food just about everywhere. Why is China worse than South Korea for example, where many people like to enjoy eating dog and cat meat?
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